Texas Longhorns rivals ranked -- 8 to 6

The best and most well-known football rivals for the Longhorns are widely contested, but we’ll list their eight through six top rivals in a countdown to their top five football rivals. As many football fans can imagine, the Texas Longhorns have a long history of rivalries on the football field. Some teams that the Texas football programs have as rivals, still have a great deal of significance to the Longhorns as top rivals on the football field.

Even though the Longhorns’ regular scheduling in conference play has changed since Texas left the Big 12 conference, new rivalries may reemerge, and old rivalries may fade for the time being. Before we rank the Longhorns’ football opponents eight through six, let’s take a quick look at this series of rankings.

This is a six-part series in which this is the first part which will reveal the teams that are considered the Texas Longhorns rivals on the football field that are ranked eight through six. Then each additional part will individually reveal the top five Longhorns rivals one by one ending with the ranking of Texas’s number one ranked rival.

No. 8: Rice Owls

The history between these two in-state rivals: There have been 97 football games between these two schools. Nonetheless, Texas has won the previous 16 games between these two in-state football programs, making the rivalry unbalanced.

The miles between these two schools: The distance between these two universities in the state of Texas is roughly 173 miles.

The record between these two football programs: Texas has won 75 games against Rice, while Rice has won 21 meetings against the Longhorns. In 1962, their game ended in a tie. The Longhorns have defeated the Owls in all but one of their meetings since 1966.

Their next scheduled game against one another: No games published til 2031 have these two teams playing each other on the football field. Texas does not have Rice on any of its upcoming schedules, but they have multiple non-conference dates with other in-state schools like UTEP and UTSA.

No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers

The history between these two football programs: The 14 games they have played against each other have mostly taken place between 1998 and 2010. Although they haven’t played enough games on the football field against one another to rank among the Longhorns’ top-five opponents, they have played in some incredible games, such as the 2009 Big 12 championship game.

The miles separating these two universities: The distance between each school is fairly far in mileage as these two schools are located about 821 miles apart.

Their records against each other in football: Texas has won 10 games against Nebraska, while Nebraska has won four times in this rivalry. In their previous six meetings with the Cornhuskers, the Longhorns have prevailed each time and have a six-game winning streak in this rivalry.

The next scheduled time they play one another: These two teams are not expected to play each other anytime soon because Texas is now a member of the SEC and Nebraska is a member of the Big Ten. But soon, they might square off in a bowl game or even the college football playoffs.

No. 6 Baylor Bears

The history between these two in-state football programs: There have been more than a hundred football games between these two schools. The Longhorns have won 81 games compared to Baylor’s 28 victories in this rivalry with four games ending in a tie ball game. Texas has won seven of the previous nine games between these two Texas football programs in this in-state rivalry.

The distance between these two schools: These two Texas schools are only about 104 miles apart.

The record against each other in this football rivalry: In this in-state and former Big 12 rivalry, the Longhorns have won over 80 games while Baylor has won just under 30. Texas has defeated the Bears 24 times since 1993.

When they are supposed to play each other again: As of schedules released through 2033, Texas has not booked any Big 12 schools from the state of Texas. Nevertheless, there are gaps in the schedule from 2028 onward, so they may play Baylor again in the near future.

Part two in this series of ranking the Longhorn’s top eight rivals will be the No. 5 ranked rival of Texas in football.